An interesting conversation with Gianluca Savoini, President of the Lombardy-Russia Association and close advisor on Russian affairs of the leader of the Northern League party Matteo Salvini.

The relations between Italy and the Russian Federation have had their ups and downs, but overall they were always good. How to retrieve these relations, especially in economic and political level?

It's very simple: lift the sanctions to the Russian Federation, thing, which has not done until now the previous government of Matteo Renzi and will surely not do the current one, which is an emanation of the previous one. If we want to reconnect again in a concrete way the relations between Rome and Moscow we must give a very clear signal, even if as a single nation we have obligations with the EU, we have to tell clearly that our country does not agree with this sanctions.

And then, I would like to understand the reason for these sanctions, for Crimea? In Crimea, there was a regular referendum, 95% of the population went to vote without a Russian occupation or interference attempts. An overwhelming majority said they wanted nothing to do with a Ukraine which had become a kind of regime after a coup d’etat which was Maidan. This was a coup supported by the international powers who wanted to use the Ukraine and the Ukrainian people, who are victims of this situation, perhaps without knowing it, to further divide Europe from Russia. All this clearly to the advantage of other players that they earn from the division between the EU and Russia, which should instead be a strong and concrete connection, in both cultural and political level and especially in business relations.

Finally, the Russians are ready to move closer to the European Union, but Italy and Europe have to do the first step, so until there is this Italian government will not change anything because he is liable to the dictates of Brussels and to the dictates of Angela Merkel.

According to Russian intelligence sources the Atlantic Alliance (NATO) is the first threat to the sovereignty of the Federation. Do you think that NATO is still useful? And if so, how it should be reformed?

NATO must be changed, in this moment has no more reason to exist, because the Alliance was also created to contrast the Warsaw Pact, then we talk about historical periods that have not already been exceeded by a year or two but for twenty, thirty 'years.

I cannot understand NATO in this moment, because when there are important situations that relate to the western world, from Syria to the international terrorism, NATO does not exist, they exist only single governments like the American, the English and the French, so there are only national governments.

NATO does nothing more than creating tensions with Russia, like sending soldiers in Poland and in Eastern European countries and creating the risk, through compliant media, of a Russian invasion of the Baltic, rather than other stories created to insinuate that there is a new Russian threat.

Northern League party has excellent relations with the party of the Russian President Vladimir Putin, United Russia. With Donald Trump victory you intend to expand your official relations even with the Republican Party?

Sure, we had a brief meeting with Donald Trump in Philadelphia during the election campaign and we are in contact through so-called "sherpas".

The new American president expresses values and positions shared by us, as the issue of immigration and the defense of traditional values, these are things that unite the European sovereignist movements (which Northern League is a member) and Donald Trump positions.

This year will be very interesting for Europe because we will have strategic elections in France, Holland and Germany. Your predictions?

First, these "pro-European" parties aimed only to maintaining the status quo, which is already in bankrupt for some time and especially aim to maintain their grip on power and its advantages.

The citizens have already shown in all elections, an increasing of the so-called "Eurosceptics" parties.

Today, people have understood that most pollsters seek only to influence the public opinion. The vast majority of the media continue to make one-sided propaganda, those who are not in favor of this European Union, gay marriages and uncontrolled immigration is a negative individual and must be stopped. Despite this, people are fed up and suffers every day on their skin the results of this "beautiful" European Union.

In France, they have brought out a candidate like François Fillon (former Prime Minister of Sarkozy presidency). After a minute, who was elected to the Republican primary party was defined by all left and right media as a man of values, of Christian traditions and a good friend of Russia, the same arguments that are typically a Frontist matrix. He is a man of the establishment, is a man who will not change anything about what were the policies of France in recent years, he will not question the membership of France in the European Union and in the Euro currency; the French establishment want only claim that is a man of great changes on the same values of Marine Le Pen.

As regards the Netherlands, Wilders is really strong Leader, I don't know how they can stop the Party of Freedom.

And finally, we come to Germany. There is a party that is rising but is still too small "Alternative für Deutschland" (AfD) that tells interesting and right things and is our ally in the European Parliament. We must see whether the establishment of the interests of big business and trade will still want to proceed with these disastrous policies of Angela Merkel.

So 2017 might truly be the decisive year in the history of Europe, and I hope so because when the story is set in motion it is difficult to stop, Trump and Brexit I hope they are not signals into space.